Between a Rock and Another Rock

View from the Natural Bridge.

Driving in Kentucky is dangerous for me. Not because people don’t follow traffic laws (like in Italy: It’s terrifying to cross the street in Rome); not because there are multitudes of animals crossing the road (like in Michigan: “Deer, bear and wolf crossing here all day every day”); but because of one thing: rock.

Rising high above the roads, cliffs of multi-colored stone loom as cars whizz by. Tall hills (when are they actually considered mountains?) dotted with green punctuate the land as the paved asphalt highways speed around them. As I drive in Kentucky, my eyes are glued to the rock and the picturesque scenes it makes. I love the roadside cliffs and the wild-looking landscape. When I drive, my eyes are probably on the surrounding land 65 percent of the time, which is not really a safe ratio. But I can’t help it: I’m addicted to the Kentucky rock.

In honor of my addiction, I decided to visit Natural Bridge Resort State Park, which is famous for – you guessed it – a natural rock bridge.

The Natural Bridge.

Parking, I began my mile hike to this bridge, along with a  hoard of other people (I had no idea it was such a destination). The climb was steep, but the landscape was stunning (which I was thankful for, because whenever I felt like I couldn’t go on, I could stop to take a photo while getting in a much needed reprieve from the climb), and when I finally reached the top, hiking up a narrow staircase and “natural” stone steps, the view from the top of the bridge and other adjoining cliffs was absolutely stunning. I got to sit and each lunch while overlooking hills and rock formations and green expanses that rolled in a beautiful way. It was a stunning day, full of more hiking, more rocks and a shake from Steak ‘n Shake.

Overall, I was reminded of a very important lesson that I thought I had already been taught (but obviously not ingrained).

Beauty in the sky.

For so long, I have wanted to travel. I often look at how to fly to Peru or Ireland, how to hike the Inca Trail or explore the Dingle Peninsula. I want to visit India and temples in mountains, see the Pyramids in Egypt and find lions on a safari, go to Hobbiton in New Zealand and swim in the Great Barrier reef. There are so many things I want to do and see, not including the multiple tiny villages I have yet to explore in England.

But God pulled me up short on Saturday as I stood overlooking the wonders of Kentucky. Here I am, in one of the largest countries on earth, full of varying landscapes and tiny towns and places to explore, and yet I am longing to go off to some foreign place when I have neither the time nor money to do so. Why can’t I have adventures here in America, in Kentucky, in Louisville for the time being? Why can’t I be content to explore the East Coast, visit New Orleans or ride along Route 66 while I am here in the U.S.?

Brillant.

God reminded me to be content where I am. I so often long for jetting off to amazing places and moving to England, overlooking the beauty of where I have been placed. There is as much to see within a two hour radius of driving my car as an eight hour plane ride (and driving costs a tiny bit less). While I work my way up in the journalism world, and while I pay off my student loans, and while God has me in America, I must be content where I am.

Life with the Lord is an adventure. But I can’t see that with these blinders on. Atop the cliffs this weekend, He helped to remove these blinders. And although I’ll probably put them right back on, I know God will be there, yanking them from my face.

He is molding me into who I am and who I will be. My goal this week is to be content. To find adventures where I am at. And to realize the blessing of being where I am, instead of where I only think I want to be. Because where I am is where God wants me. Surely, that is the best thing of all.

Tall cliffs.

A Day with Austen

Pride and Prejudice framed, as it should be.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single woman in possession of a love for Jane Austen must be in want of a festival dedicated to the author. And as Louisville seems to be the king of festivals, it can be no surprise that I was able to attend the 7th Annual Jane Austen Festival this weekend right in town.

Carol was the one who told me about it initially. Somehow, through one of our various conversations, it came out that she and I share a love of Jane (and Lord of the Rings, but that is a whole other matter). She proceeded to inform me of the festival and we both eagerly awaited for the day to arrive.

So when Saturday rolled around, I felt like it was Christmas morning all over again (ok, maybe that’s a bit much). Driving to the festival, I passed old, large homes that sat on top of hills, and large, rolling lawns that seemed to speak of another, older time. The festival was held at the estate called Locus Grove, sporting a home from the late 1700s. As I got out of my car and began to make my way to the archery demonstration (I wish I could shoot a bow in arrow while wearing the beautiful dresses -err, uniforms- they were in!), I found myself transported to another time. Women AND men walked around in regency style dress, greeting each other as if they had walked out of the film Pride and Prejudice. I think I’ve added a new item to what I want in a husband: a man who is willing to go to a festival or ball dressed in Regency clothes! The stretch of tents with goods was labeled the Shops of Meryton; ladies with parasols shopped for small purses and shawls. I couldn’t help the geeky smile that beamed across my face the six hours I spent there.

That day, Carol and I shared our love of Austen with hundreds of others in various ways: 1) there was a tea tent called Bingley’s Tea, and one of the tea’s sold called Mrs. Bennet’s Nerves (they all had witty names and sayings), 2) I was tempted to buy a Regency dress and accessories, except a hat alone cost $100 (maybe I’ll ask for it on my birthday), 3) there was a puppet show, fire breather and duo that played musical water glasses

Bingley’s Tea!

brilliantly, 4) food that was actually fitting for the price, 5) a parade of Regency gowns by a fashion designer (who knew that was a business?), 6) a promenade of all the people who showed up in Regency wear (they got the World Record this year with 491 people in Regency dress, beating out Bath, England’s Jane Austen Festival! Who knew Louisville was so passionate about Austen??), 7) watched the dressing – well, UN-dressing – of Mr. Darcy (A man dressed as Mr. Darcy broke down the outfit and why he wore what he did, all the while taking the pieces he talked about off. He stayed decent for the most part!), and to wrap it up, 8) a duel between gentlemen. . . that failed because the guns kept misfiring. It was hilarious though!

And to end the night with a bang, Carol and I attended Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare in the Park. Let’s just say, I never EVER thought I would laugh so hard at a Shakespeare play. It was uproariously funny, the actors and actresses were amazing and frankly it was a great way to end a Saturday.

I never imagined in my wildest dreams that Louisville, Kentucky, would be so full of adventures and new things to do. I suppose, like Elizabeth Bennet, I shouldn’t judge by simply the outside. Instead, I need to dig deeper and find the Mr. Darcy everyone loves that is hiding within.

 

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To Buy or Not to Buy, That is the Question

At Hamlet, I found a Choco Taco being sold by one of the food trucks! Haven’t had one in years.

Summary of my week:

1) Somehow by the grace of God, my stories for Peake got done. Well, for the most part. I’ll finish one that was due on Friday on Monday. Promise!

2) The power went out for two days, due to a storm that lasted twenty minutes. But it took down gigantic trees all around the neighborhood!

3) With the power out, Carol and I got pizza and ice cream. It’s a good day when you don’t have to cook.

4) Studying for a test in my media law class. Yes, it is as terrible as it sounds.

5) Saw Hamlet at Shakespeare in the Park last night. It was brilliant! Seriously, the actors and actresses are SO good.

With my week surmised nicely in those five points, I’d like to talk about something that was highlighted by the powering going out.

Monday and Tuesday night were a bit dismal. We lit candles and spent time talking, but both Carol and I were made very aware of how much we relied on the electricity. Yes, I got some much overdue reading of my National Geographic Magazine in, and yes, we got to go get delicious pizza and then ice cream, but by the time 8’oclock rolled around, our phones were dying and my laptop was low on juice. The most perishable items in the fridge had been stuffed in a cooler, and I went two nights without popcorn, which is saying something.

However, as I sat there in the dark, brushing my teeth, I realized two things. First, I have been in situations like this before when traveling in countries like the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. In those places, there was no air conditioning, but it hardly bothered me. One hostel I stayed at in Nicaragua turned off its electricity from midnight until 8 a.m. I ate food off of tables where bugs landed in masses, and the toilets were little more than glorified holes in the ground. And yet, by Tuesday evening when the electricity had been off for 24 hours and the house was beginning to get warm, I felt myself grumpy over the fact I had to sleep in a double bed in my own room in a nice house with its own yard in America without electricity, without air. That was a bit of a kick in the gut when I realized it. This is where my second point comes in: I am so blessed in so many ways, I fear it has made me spoiled and ungrateful as well.

It was funny the power should have happened to go out this week (Ok, funny to me. But the Lord knew it would be perfectly timed and enjoys seeing me startled by His timing). Lately, God has been working on a part of my heart that deals with stuff and realizing I don’t need necessarily what I want and have.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying the stuff in itself is bad. However, it’s what has been made of it. The more stuff you have, and the shinier that stuff is, usually alludes to wealth. People want it all; it’s what the American dream is based off of. When the electricity goes off, you are horrified because it just shouldn’t happen. You don’t know what to do without it!

But lately, God’s been working on my heart. He’s been slowly chipping away my desires, removing the specks from my eyes. I look around and see I have so much (I can go a whole month without wearing the same outfit; My house is cool in 95 degree weather). The Lord has got me asking, how does this stuff further His Kingdom? How does it help me build relationships with others, to have experiences, to enjoy this life He has blessed me with by pouring out Him to the world?

Now don’t get me wrong: I love shopping and buying things and having running water and all that jazz. However, I’ve begun to desire to live minimally, in the sense of material things especially. Instead, I want to spend my time and money on experiences, on relationships, on ultimately furthering the Kingdom. I’ve begun to wonder if the Lord has given me this travel bug in order to meet people around the world and love on them, even if only for a few days. I’ve begun to realize I should rather want to spend time with people at dinner or hiking through a forest then at a mall, buying stuff.

This reasoning sounds wonderful, and as if I’m better than the rest. But please note I am not and am far from perfect. Besides, this reasoning is so new, I fear it will just be a fad. That the next time I feel like I want new stuff, I’ll just go shopping instead of evaluating if I really need it. But right now, for me personally, I want to reevaluate what I am spending my money on. I want to be smart about it, yes (God calls us to be stewards, and this girl has bills to pay), but I would rather use it to have experiences and adventures where God will be able to use me, then on something that goes up in my closet and only comes out once a month. (Don’t get me wrong, again having a wonderful home and things are wonderful and huge blessings. It’s how we use them that matters thought).

To sum it all up, this past semester I watched a documentary about Jamaica and how few of the people there ever have the opportunity to leave their country. And how we as Americans, we can go almost anywhere. What a blessing it is to be an American. What a blessing to have so much. And what a blessing to be able to spend hours on a plane or bus, nights in a hostel, or days hiking the Inca Trail with people. It’s opportunity to love on people you would never have known before. Being able to be a witness while experiencing the beautiful world sounds wonderful to me. I pray God won’t just give me a heart for travel (I have that already), but instead that He gives me a heart of traveling for an eternal purpose.

You’re the Only Tenn-I-ssee, Nashville

Shakespeare in the Park

Perhaps one of the neatest parts about living in Louisville is there is always something to do.

Thursday evening, Carol (my housemate) and I went to Shakespeare in the Park – part of one of the longest running, FREE Shakespeare festivals in the nation! There was something oddly beautiful about sitting in a park in Old Louisville, surround by giant trees, sipping on my vodka and lemonade. As the actors and actresses came on stage to tell the story of Henry V, the sun began to set and light the display with golden light. Trumpets were played, jokes were made and the fireflies came out during the final battle scene. It was brilliant as the stage lights lit up the canopy of leaves overhead, creating such a theater setting like I have never seen before. It was truly magnificent and I will be going back.

That was perhaps my highlight during a very busy week at Peake. I’ve been given the task to write two major and two minor features of Box Pro Magazine – thrilling, but a lot of work, especially when sources don’t respond to you. Plus, videos, other stories and features for both the web and Club Solutions Magazine, social media, and some hooliganary here and there makes for a full schedule. But don’t get me wrong: I really enjoy it!

On my way to Nashville!

But Friday morning reminded me of one of the glorious reasons why working at a magazine instead of a newspaper or TV station is so grand: I get holidays off. And what do I do? ADVENTURE.

Friday morning I journeyed three hours south, past Mammoth Cave and the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, to the city of Nashville, Tennessee (even though I really don’t like country music … like at all). But it wasn’t just to visit: I got to meet up with my friend Rachel (who I met in England; she lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee) and her husband Justin! I haven’t seen Rachel since I left her at the bus stop at Lancaster University, her and Aubrey waving as I rode away to Heathrow.

Well, I must admit my adventure began almost immediately, for a couple of reasons:

1) I was staying at a hostel. Hostels themselves are full of new people and experiences. As soon as I arrived, I was greeted warmly.

2) Fifteen minutes in, I met a British guy who was from London. We chatted for a good thirty minutes, and I couldn’t decide whether I was thrilled to get a taste of England or was going to be sick because I missed it and everyone in it so much.

3) Nashville is an hour behind Louisville. Found that out the hard way.

4) Walking a mile and a half is always something special.

5) One word: PARTY.

The whole street was a party.

After meeting up with Rachel and Justin, we spent some time walking the main stretch on Broadway that Nashville is known for. A huge festival was going on, meaning crowds every where (I’m great at navigating crowds, though this one was a bit of a pickle sometimes) and also meaning a chance by Dippin’ Dots to break the world record of most ice cream scoops scooped in five minutes (Free ice cream? We were so there. Oh, and they broke the record. And a British guy was announcing the competition).

Deciding we needed a break from the crowd, we spent the rest of the afternoon walking around, passing the state capital and a neat statue of some sort, going to a farmer’s market, and eating a huge calzone in a dumpy Italian restaurant (but the calzone was delicious). That evening, we went back to grab a spot on the riverbank for the fireworks.

Now, let me make it known: We got there four hours before the fireworks. Four. Ok? Four hours, and yet we barely got a spot. How early do people get there??? By the time night fell, it was so crowded you could hardly walk anywhere (which was unfortunate because I had gone to see my childhood neighbor who now lives in Nashville – we sat in a bar with old, country music played by some AMAZING musicians – and then had to venture back in the darkness, surrounded by thousands of people). However, despite the suffocating closeness of people and the fact nearly all the fire codes were being broken, the fireworks were the BEST I’ve ever seen. I mean, we were so close ash was falling on us and my ribcage was reverberating with each bang. Apparently, it’s the second best show in the nation, which I won’t argue with (and I’ve seen some big shows before). Plus, we could watch the Coast Guard working to put out fires on the far side of the river.

A replica of the Parthenon in the middle of Nashville.

Saturday brought new adventures: a trip to the Parthenon replica (so out of place, but it was orginally built for a world exposition and only remains standing today because it was so popular), tons of walking (Rachel and Justin met a friend for coffee so I explored), Belmont Mansion and the Belmont University campus (beautiful, stunning, glorious), Which Wich (an fun sandwich place that involved writing on paper bags to order your food), Belle Meade Plantation (my first plantation; it is known for its horses and produced the line that both Secretariat and Seabiscuit came from), Ticket to Ride game in the lobby of Justin and Rachel’s hotel (I lost…which is pretty typical) and finally, my first DELICIOUS experience with Thai food.

Saying goodbye to Rachel and Justin, I spent the rest of my evening talking with some girls I met at the hostel. Sunday was another early start as I headed out, deciding to stop at the Lost River Cave. The best part about it wasn’t the fact I was in a boat in a cave, but that in the early 1900s, there was a night club in the cave’s entrance, complete with big bands and swing dancing (I wanted so bad to swing dance there)! It was beautiful and a great hidden gem. Sometimes, you have to be spur of the moment to find wonderful things.

Overall, my favorite part was visiting with Rachel and Justin. Even having been apart for a year, we started right back where we were. There’s something about that type of friend that is truly special.

Now another week at Peake. But with writing, sales meetings and more, I’m sure I’ll be kept on my toes.

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